A Mistake
by Cloudstar of Fireclan
Summary: Who decides if a cat goes to the Dark Forest or Starclan? Why would it matter so much? And what happens if they make a mistake?
1. Prolouge

"What do you say, Midnight? Has this cat proved herself worthy of the stars?" A blind, hairless tom sat in a deep burrow, next to a badger with a greying muzzle.  
"Cat is bad, doesn't deserve stars," rasped the old badger.  
"But her mother abandoned her," murmured the tom quietly. "I would be bitter, too."  
"Matter not. She killed many." replied Midnight briskly.  
"Why punish her for something that's cause she had no control over? When Bluestar died, we let her in."  
"Bluestar killed no cat. She also had more losses."  
The tom scratched at the ground with his long, twisted claws. "She has still suffered through much. We should give her a place in the sky to honor what he has overcome."  
The badger sighed quietly. "Very well. I hope we not regret this decision."

* * *

I blinked open my eyes to a lush forest. _Where am I?, _I wondered. I couldn't recall ever being in a place like this. I tried to remember what I had been doing last, but strangely, nothing came to mind. All I could remember about myself was my name, Molefoot, as well as some very distant thoughts, of heartbreak and abuse and a path marked in blood.  
_Might as well look around some,_ I thought. _Besides, this place is so nice! _I admiringly observed the trees, all of which seemed to be home to squirrels, and the rivers with the freshet water I've ever drunken. _Might as well stay here for now. _Out of the corner of my eye, I spied a flicker of movement. I turned my head to see a plump ground squirrel, one of the biggest pieces of fresh-kill I've ever seen. My mouth watered as I crept closer. _That squirrel will be mine soon. _I thrusted myself forward and pinned it down under my paws. But just before I delivered the killing bite, I heard a cat calling into the forest. _Another cat! Maybe he can tell me who exactly I am. _ leaped away from the squirrel, all thoughts of fresh-kill abandoned. I raced up to the cat, who was a brown tom with a jet-black tail-tip.  
"Who are you?" I demanded. "And where am I?"  
"I'm Soilstar. This is Starclan." I blinked as the memories came flooding back. My abusive mother, rejected by my siblings- for being born without those sharp canines. And the only highlight- the blood. Oh, I had shown them I didn't need those teeth to be deadly. In fact, I now knew where I had been when I had died- in the midst of a battle. _But if I killed so many cats, then-why am I here?_


	2. Chapter 1

**Sorry it took so long!**

* * *

"And she remained a brave warrior," Mousestar, the leader of Earthclan, concluded. There was lots of soft murmuring among the gathered cats, for we knew that as brave as the fallen warrior, Molefoot, might be, she would never be loyal, kind, merciful, or anything else that would make her a good warrior. Just brave. Foolhardy, thoughtless bravery and a love of battle. She had, after being a rogue for a while, rejoined the clan and managed to push her rank up to deputy. She'd died before becoming leader, thank StarClan. I shuddered as I thought of the havoc and bloodshed she would have wreaked. Would Earthclan have been able to hold on through that?

Perhaps not... Since the famine, several cats have left Earthclan and there were a few who were on the verge of leaving.

Right when I thought that, the medicine cat raced up to the leader with a nervous look in her eyes. That wasn't like her. Flytail was almost never nervous.

"Mousestar? Have you appointed the deputy yet?"

The dark-colored leader turned to her, a puzzled look in his eyes.  
"No. Why? Do you have a message from StarClan on who the deputy should be?"

"Yes! Um, I mean no." Before Mousestar could ask what she meant, Flytail rushed on. "I had a vision from StarClan, and they told me not to appoint a deputy." I immediately felt suspicious, but Mousestar just looked even more confused.

After a long silence, he agreed. "This is unusual, but we must follow what StarClan decrees. EarthClan will have no deputy."

There was much mumbling amongst the group of cat Mousestar waved his tail for silence. Surprisingly, every cat obeyed.

Except me. I couldn't stand the idea that I might be right. "What did the warrior look like, Flytail?"

"Shut up, FireClan warrior. You have no right to know our secret," said a large tabby tom.

I glanced down at the bright ginger marking of a flame on my chest and tried to groom my black fur down over it. It popped back up, just like every time. I gave up on hiding it and resorted to words.

"I'm not a FireClan warrior! I belong to EarthClan and you know that!"

"With that mark?" some cat laughed, jabbing their claw at my chest.

I arched my back, fur standing on end, and growled softly.

"Go on, attack us. FireClan is too soft and weak to do any harm." I forced my fur to lie flat and flattened my back, but hissed defiantly at them before turning around and stalking over to the warriors' den.

I'll deal with these mouse-brains later. Right now, I just want to be left alone! In the warriors' den, no one would disturb me. I hope.

But when I was just a few tail-lengths away from my nest, I remembered the question that had started all the taunting.

She never answered it.

I hated not knowing the if I was correct. So I padded away from my nest, away from peace from cruel Clanmates, and to the medicine den.

"Flytail?" I asked. The mottled brown and grey she-cat jumped, scattering several of the herbs she was sorting.

"You scared me!" she exclaimed, pawing the herbs back into piles, then added, "What is it, Shadowflame?"

"I wanted to ask you a question, but we got interrupted by some cats. Would you mind if I asked the question here?"

"No, not at all! And don't mind mind those bee-brains. They'll learn soon enough. So what was the question you wanted to ask me again?"

"Um...what was the color of the StarClan cat's pelt? The one who sent you the vision?"

Flytail looked alarmed. "Well, um, she was just, you know, a normal cat. Nothing special on her pelt. Not at all." She looked she was desperately trying to get out of this conversation.  
I felt sorry for her, so I left her in the medicine den, throwing "Thanks!" over my shoulder. But I couldn't stop thinking;

_Who is this cat?_


	3. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the long wait. (Long story) But I'm back now, so let's begin Chapter 2 of ****A Mistake!**

"Ah...ah...achoo!" Mousestar sneezed furiously as a snowflake landed on his nose, although that didn't seem to be the real cause of his sneezing. Heat radiated off his body-a surprising amount for the middle of leaf-bare- and his fur looked ungroomed. Yet he still continued organizing the patrols. "...Lizardfrost, you can go hunting with Robinear." His eyes were glazed with exhaustion as he said this.

_Shouldn't he in his den?_ I wondered. After all, he had been like this for a quarter-moon, with no sign of improvement, and yet he had upheld the deputy's job as well as his own.

A cat nearby echoed my thoughts. "He really shouldn't be out like this."

Yet he is.

"Mousestar, shouldn't you be in your den?" Flytail asked severely.

"I-I must order the patrols, since there is no deputy to do it," and added harshly, "As I remember you ordered."

Flytail had the same trapped look as when Shadowflame had asked her about the StarClan cat.

"Yes, but...You're still sick! You have to go to your den!"

"I'm the leader of this Clan, and I get to decide about that. I will not."

Flytail's fur started to stand on end, as if being drawn toward the sky. "And I'm the medicine cat!" You will go to your den!"  
What happens if the medicine cat and the leader start fighting? We don't have a deputy, we can't be weakened more!  
Luckily, Mousestar simply nodded. "Fine. But remember that I'm the leader. Don't challenge my power any more." He walked into his den, head held high as if it were two seasons ago and EarthClan was still the greatest Clan of the forest. Leaving half the patrols still unorganized

With nothing else to do, I turned to Flytail. "Uh...how are the herbs?" I asked awkwardly, remembering their last conversation. In truth, I knew nothing about herbs, nor cared to, but I didn't want to remind the medicine cat about our last conversation.

"They're fine" she replied, seeing right through my feeble disguise. "But why don't you go hunting? We have many hungry mouths to feed."

"Sure, but, uh...are you sure you know nothing about the warrior?" Her gaze hardened.

"Yes, I'm sure. Now, go!" Her tone was stiff and angry, so I hurried off into the forest.

My limbs relaxed as the trees surrounded me, far away from that horrible camp. I felt better here, more relaxed and at peace. After all, birds didn't taunt, and trees didn't keep secrets.

_But I'll have to go back soon. I can't stay in this forest forever._

I was jerked out of my thoughts by a twittering blackbird.

_It will make good prey._

I crept toward the bird, which was perched on a trunk, my muscles tensed. But as I snuck through the thickly-littered forest floor, I frowned slightly. I wasn't the Clan's best hunter, but even I was quite sure that another cat on the other side of the trunk would make us much more likely to hunt. Sure enough, right when I lunged for the blackbird, it gave a screech of alarm and flew off, right towards where another warrior should have been crouching, ready to pounce.

_That's it, it's time to do something about this._

I stormed back to camp, which happened to only be a few tree-lengths away. The clearing was mostly filled with cats who hadn't been assigned a patrol. A small piece of snow fell off in a nearby tree and broke into many white pieces on the ground. But I cared nothing about those as I raced towards Mousestar's den. Tensing my muscles, I leaped on top of it. Not far to go, but standing on the leader's den was a bold move. Several other cats turned their heads to stare at me in surprise.

"Cats of EarthClan," I began, trying and failing to keep my voice steady. "It has come to my attention that there aren't enough patrols out because the leader is sick and has nno deputy. And...uh...we need more patrols so we can have more fresh-kill so we don't starve. Since Mousestar is sick, we, er, need a deputy..." I felt like a kit being scolded as I waited for the Clan's replied, head hanging shamefully.

Too soon, the reply came. "We're managing just fine!"

"Flytail said there wasn't supposed to be a deputy." And on.

A wave of anger surged through me and I leaped up, no longer feeling shamed.  
"Well, we'll see about that!" Bunching my muscles, I raced into the forest, desperate to get away from the Clan that had rejected me, time and time again.


	4. Chapter 3

I flicked my tail back and forth in annoyance, hearing it thunk loudly against the ground. My ears were laid back with obvious anger. Pieces of shredded meat lay around my feet, once a valuable source of food. Now it was destroyed, wasted. It went against everything I had ever learned, keeping food from the Clan, but I had a strong urge to do it again.

_ They deserve it_! Yet, instead of destroying more food to get even, I stared sullenly at the ground. And stared. The sun reached its highest point and continued downwards on its arcing journey. I didn't move from my spot. I just sat and thought angry, sullen thoughts. Until I heard a rustle nearby in the bushes. I nearly jumped out of my pelt.

What EarthClan cat would even come near me? But I recognized the cat. She had a gray-brown pelt.

"Flytail?" I asked, mystified. "What are you doing here?" I must have annoyed the medicine cat very much with the many times I had asked her about the StarClan warrior. There couldn't be any reason she would purposely seek me out.

"Well, I, um, want to help you convince the cats about what you were saying. I...kind...of...agree." She spat out each of the last words as if they pained her to say.

"Why do you care about some cat who everyone hates for my 'FireClan' markings?" I asked, instantly suspicious.

" 'Cause I, well, um, agree w-with you." Flytail looked about as comfortable as a mouse inside of camp.

I stared at her for a few heartbeats, debating whether or not I should accept, but my pride got the best of me. I looked away pointedly. "No."

Surprisingly, Flytail didn't look upset. "Sure, then. But say if you need me. I could help you a lot." She trotted off while I sat there, looking stunned.

_ I don't need them to convince the others!_ I took off in a run back towards camp, careful not to follow the same path as Flytail. _I'll show them!_

_ How else would I convince them?_ I glanced around at all the cats, looking at each of them. _ Maybe individually? _

I padded up to Mothclaw, who instantly turned away. I didn't even bother arguing. Instead, I turned to a golden tabby, who again didn't look twice at me. My mouth twisted with outrage.

_ Why won't you listen to me‽_ I thought angrily. I bit my lip frustratedly, and whipped my tail back and forth. _ I won't ask for help. I can figure this out on my own. I will not ask for help. I won't, I won't I WON'T! _Yet there seemed to be a little voice in the back of my head, persuading me. I paced back and forth, gnashing my teeth in frustration. The other cats gave me a wide berth, as they always had, but this time there was no one within three tail-lengths of me.

_ Just...go! Nothing's going to change if you stand there! _Pawstep by painful pawstep, I forced myself to go to the medicine den.

"F-flytail?" I stammered.

The medicine cat emerged from her den, ready to do duty as usual.  
"Yes?"

"I-I-I...need...help," I admitted, wincing.

Again, Flytail was unfazed. "Sure, I'll help you." She sprang to her paws and started pushing towards another cat. "Hey!" I protested. "Don't push me!" But with the medicine cat at my side, every cat believed what I was trying to say.

I jumped as I heard a faint rustle in the bushes. _ Probably nothing,_ I decided. But a feeling of unease stayed with me throughout the day, still sticking around as I settled in my nest. The Clan was bustling with plans to decide a new deputy, but I was just focused on the feeling that something was wrong. I fell asleep still with the feeling.

I woke to more rustles and instantly jumped to my paws. _What's going on?_ Then I heard a soft voice, carried to me by the wind. "Be quiet. We don't want them to hear us." I had a terrible memory when it came to matching cats with their voices, but I was certain this was Foxstar, leader of FireClan. Even though it was obvious this was an attack, I still didn't raise the alarm. The leader was too sick to help,-judging from his coughing all day, he probably had whitecough-and there was no deputy to organize the cats. They would probably all panic and scatter. Might as well let them get as much rest as they could before they had to fight. So I sat, worry gnawing at me as the attacking patrol grow closer.

When I saw several silhouettes sneaking into camp, I yowled, "FireClan invaders!" A wave of panic went over the Clan as they tried and failed to group themselves.

_ Yeah...maybe I should have woken them up earlier._ I rushed into battle, blindly clawing and biting others, barely able to tell who was the enemy. Once I found myself pinned down by a tortoiseshell-and-white warrior. Blood oozed from my neck as her claws, which were a strange shade of grey and surprisingly hard, dug into it. I gulped. She wasn't looking at me, but seemed to be arguing with another FireClan warrior. I coughed loudly, and she looked down, yelped, and let go of me in surprise, but not before getting a few good blows in. Still stinging, I rushed off to fight another cat, who turned out to be an apprentice and I easily defeated. While still holding him down by his neck, I looked around at the battling cats. Each was separated, and we were scattered around the camp, with no battle formation.

_ Something please happen already. We can't stay like this forever._ All of the sudden, I was bowled over by a large warrior. He pushed his paw to my throat, making me gasp for air.

_ Great,_ I thought bitterly. _Pinned down for the second time._ I growled and lashed out at him, but the warrior held fast. At last I stopped, panting for breath.

"Not so great a warrior, are you?" the tom purred. I growled at him, but it quickly died out as he pushed harder at me. I choked.

_ So this is how I'll die. At least now they'll know I'm not some FireClan spy._ Except just as I relaxed, ready to let him kill me, the pressure on my throat lifted. The warrior lay on his side next to me, long claw marks scoring his side. I got up shakily, and before me stood...Flytail.

"But-you're a medicine cat! You can't fight!" I stammered.  
Flytail looked at me for a few seconds, then smiled. "I was trained to protect, Shadowflame. And fighting's just another way of protecting. Come, now. There's a still a Clan to organize and battle to fight."

I followed after Flytail, dumbfounded as to what she was doing.

"Where are you going?" I followed her, which was difficult due to the pace she was moving and the tumbling, screeching cats.

"Just trust me."

"Why should I trust you?" I retorted,still not completely having forgiven her for not having told me about the StarClan cat. "You still haven't told me who that cat who banned the deputy looked like!"

She stopped dead in her tracks and looked at me. "I didn't tell you because you didn't need to know. You had already guessed correctly, and me revealing more would have just panicked you."

"Huh." I wasn't quite sure how to reply to that.

Flytail continued in her brisk manner. "Well, we're standing in front of Mousestar's den. The Clan's in chaos. You could probably help a lot by giving orders from atop the den. So what will it be?"

I backed away with my head a whisker-width from the ground. "Oh, no. I am not going up there."

"Please?" she asked plaintively. "For me? I saved your life."

I growled. "Fine. But just this once." For the second time that day, I jumped back onto the den, powering myself with my haunches.

"What do I do now?" I asked. Flytail shrugged.

"I dunno. Try to get them in some formation. I'm not the warrior here!" I glanced around at the organized cats. They were almost in a part-triangle formation, albeit a crooked one.

I wanted to back away at the idea of organizing all these cats-and talking to them- but then I would probably fall off the den, and that would hurt. A lot. And I already have several wounds that were throbbing painfully. So instead, I yowled; "EarthClan!" Well, not really yowled. It was more like a mouse's squeak. At least I opened my mouth. Blood pounded in my ears.

I tried again. "EarthClan!" It was actually audible this time. "We need to get in a battle formation."

"You don't say," one cat murmured. I made another sound that sounded suspiciously similar to prey's. "Why don't we get in a triangle formation? Robinear, you can go over there..." I started ticking off names and assigning positions, punctuated by the occasional squeak. Luckily, I was too quiet for FireClan to hear, or the whole plan would be foiled. When I was done, I sprinted off to my position. Fur ripped under my paws as I stepped forward on my hind legs, staggering slightly, but quickly supported by another warrior. I glanced at him gratefully, and continued fighting. Finally, I was at the entrance of the camp, watching the fleeing FireClan.

"We...did it," I said in astonishment.

Flytail headbutted me. "Duh._ Of course_ we did."

"Huh," I repeated, but was saved from having to say anything by Mousestar coming stumbling out of his den, coughing and blinking.

"Has there been a battle?" he asked.

I tried to refrain from rolling my eyes. "Yes, there has been." Flytail jumped up and murmured something in Mousestar's ear.

He looked at me. "So...FireClan ambushed us and you organized the Clan so they could be driven off?" Once more, I put my head low, tail up, and arched my back while moving away.

"I...um...well, um...I, er..." I trailed off, but Mousestar just laughed.

"So how would you like to become deputy of EarthClan?" My eyes widened, but not with pleasure. I wanted to dig a hole in the ground and burrow into it, or disappear.

_ Me, deputy? Never! _ But then, Flytail gave me a pleading look. Typical. Just typical. One of the few cats I like wants me to do something I don't want to ever do. So I tried another way. "But..if you're sick, shouldn't you wait 'till you're not so tired?" Once more, Mousestar laughed.

"I'm feeling better now, after a long sleep, at least enough to conduct a deputy ceremony."

"Fine," I growled. I glared at Flytail with an expression that clearly said,_ I'm only doing this for you. _ I walked over to Mousestar and waited for him to announce me deputy.

"I say these words before StarClan, that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice." I noticed that he dodged saying Molefoot's name. "The new deputy of EarthClan is Shadowflame."

"Shadowflame! Shadowflame! Shadowflame!" the Clan chanted. Once they were done, I padded over to Flytail, ignoring the cats who were waiting to congratulate me.

"How will I do this?" I worried "I'm probably going to hate being deputy," I then meowed sullenly.

Flytail shrugged. "Maybe it won't be so bad after all."

"But will you help me with me duties? I'm not sure I can manage them on my own."

Flytail put a paw on my shoulder. "Of course I'll help you."

_ Maybe she's right, and it won't be so bad._ I looked over at her. _At least I have someone to help me. I have...a friend. _


End file.
